No more calls, please. Contest over. The Marlins’ Fredi Gonzalez is Manager of the Year. Even if the Marlins don’t win another game, he locked up the award after Monday night’s 5-1 loss.
Gonzalez removed Marlins star Hanley Ramirez after he failed to run after a ball he booted. The fallout from this benching included some spectacular quotes and events. Here we go . . .
Ramirez: “We got a lot of people dogging it after ground balls. They don’t apologize.”
As part of his defense, Ramirez also reminded reporters that Gonzalez “never played in the majors.”
Good point. Gonzalez was never good enough to be entitled to loaf; he just doesn’t understand.
Gonzalez, to reporters: “You guys call him [Ramirez] a marquee guy. I’ve got 25 guys all wearing the same uniform with all of the same Marlins insignias on the front, and I’d think it’s disappointing if anybody did it, not just one guy.”
And then Gonzalez was asked if he’ll take any other action against Ramirez. Gonzalez’s answer is suitable for both framing and embroidery on a throw pillow:
“You mean more embarrassment than being taken out of a major league game?”
Fabulous.
And with that highly publicized episode, and those searing words-to-live-by fresh in all minds, no big leaguer ever again chose not to run when running mattered; none ever again placed his team at a disadvantage for an indefensible, me-first reason.
Well, not until the next night, anyway.
With his team down, 5-4, one out and a man on second in the top of the eighth against the Yankees, Boston’s David Ortiz hit a high, John Sterling variety home run to right-center, then stood at home and posed, then broke into a light trot as he watched the ball . . .
. . . bang off the fence.
As the tying run scored from second, Ortiz, who should’ve been standing at second, was thrown out at second. Over the last 25 years, we’ve seen similar a thousand times, spring training through the World Series.
On WWOR, Ken Singleton and Michael Kay, both of whom by now should be accustomed to minimalist baseball at the profession’s highest level, said they were sorry, but they still can’t quietly overlook such “professionalism.” Instead of 5-5, runner on second, one out, it was 5-5, two out, bases empty.
How could anyone indulge that?
Wednesday, ESPN’s SportsCenter showed the play, Ortiz thrown out at second. But there wasn’t even a whisper as to why he was thrown out, why he made it back to the dugout faster than he’d made it to first.
After Ortiz was seen being tagged out, co-anchor Stan
Verrett merely said, “by that time the damage was done.” Huh? Damage done? Damage minimized.
And Wednesday night against the Twins in Boston, after hitting one to deep left-center, Ortiz again posed at home plate. This time, a replay review granted him a home run — by about an inch.
But why make a big deal about fundamentals?
Your dentist occasionally doesn’t feel up to sterilizing his or her instruments? So what. Once in a while your auto mechanic only says he replaced the brake pads? He’s entitled.
As Hanley Ramirez, major leaguer, put it, “We got a lot of people dogging it.”
Big Papi refuses to play Fredi way, too
Look what they’ve done to my game, Ma. Reading box scores used to be fun, not funny. From reader Gary Lewis of Yonkers:
On May 12, the Rays beat the Angels, 4-3. David Price started, went 61/3 for the win.
Next, Randy Choate pitched a third of an inning; he threw two pitches and was credited with a hold. Next, Grant Balfour pitched two thirds of an inning — another hold. Next, Dan Wheeler, went a third of an inning, allowed a hit; he, too was awarded a hold. Then, Lance Cormier pitched a third of an inning. Another hold.
Next, Rafael Soriano pitched the ninth, for the save.
Six pitchers. One win, four holds and a save. And a total of nine pitchers in a 4-3 game, which helps explain why it ran 3:10 instead of 2:40. Joe West, young man!
Just wrong, literally
ALTHOUGH ESPN’s Chris Berman will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he’s not likely to attend the ceremony; he’ll be gone, somewhere, with the wind. In a news release Berman explains:
“A star on Hollywood Boulevard is an iconic honor that has literally blown me away.”
So how is it that a career broadcaster knows “iconic,” but speaks “literally” as if it means figuratively?
Grant gets his due
THE Mets, during the third inning in-stadium tonight, will honor the memory of Eddie Grant, Harvard grad, lawyer, NY Giants infielder and the first big leaguer killed in action during WW I. Capt. Grant, a member of the legendary “Lost Battalion,” was born May 21, 1883. A plaque memorializing him was attached to an outfield wall in the Polo Grounds.
* Wanna float the Garden another interest-free loan? Tickets for a Lady Gaga concert were put on “pre-sale,” yesterday. The concert is scheduled for Feb. 21 — just nine months from now.
* WCBS-AM’s two daytime sports anchors, Jared Max and Gordon Dahmer, both try to give a little extra during their brief segments; both try to leave something relevant or at least thoughtful every time. They don’t just grind out numbers and starting pitchers as if they’re paid to churn and run. Much appreciated.
* Tuesday, the Dodgers’ Andre Ethier was placed on the DL hours before Andre Ethier Bobble Head Doll Night. There’s precedent. In 1980, the Nets, then playing in Piscataway, traded 7-foot Rich Kelley to Phoenix the day of Tuscan Dairy Rich Kelley Growth Chart Night.
* Spoke this week with a well-known ex-Giant and a longtime Giants’ ticket subscriber. Does he have to buy PSLs? “Hell, yeah.” Is he buying PSLs? “Hell, no. I’m outta there. Who has $70,000 to spend on a few football games? That’s all they are, ya know, football games.”
* Reader Tony Venturella, Staten Island, yesterday watched an ESPN crawl repeatedly inform him that Dolphins WR “Brandon Marshall is out until training camp due to hip surgery.” Venturella: “Since training camp hasn’t yet started and there are no NFL games scheduled, exactly what is he ‘out’ of?”
* Floyd Landis is the latest reason why world-class athletes are now guilty until proven innocent. It’s not our fault; it wasn’t our idea.